(1) The Electoral
Commissioner may, by notice in the Government Gazette —
(a)
appoint such polling places for the whole of State electorate and districts as
the Electoral Commissioner considers necessary;
[(b) deleted]
(c)
appoint such other polling places as he thinks fit in any institution or
hospital, or both;
(d)
declare any institution or hospital, or both, so appointed to be a special
institution or hospital, or both, for the purposes of this Act;
(e)
declare any area of the State in which he considers attendance of electors at
a polling place under usual conditions is difficult by reason of remoteness,
to be a remote area for the purposes of this Act;
(f)
abolish any polling place;
(g)
cancel or amend a declaration made under paragraph (d) or (e);
(h)
establish sub-districts and fix the boundaries thereof, and abolish
sub-districts;
(i)
declare, and fix the boundaries of, a polling area for
the purposes of section 193 in relation to each polling place appointed under
paragraph (a);
(j)
cancel a declaration under paragraph (i) or amend boundaries fixed under that
paragraph.
(2) When a
sub-district is established or abolished the Electoral Commissioner may, by
notification in the Government Gazette , give such directions as are thereby
rendered necessary or expedient for the change of electors from one roll to
another roll and effect shall be given forthwith to such directions in the
manner prescribed by such notice.
(3) If a polling place
is appointed under subsection (1) for the whole of State electorate, or all
districts, for the purposes of a general election, that polling place is
referred to as a general polling place .
(3a) The Electoral
Commissioner may, in relation to a general polling place, perform the
functions of the returning officers for the whole of State electorate, or
districts, under the provisions listed in the Table to this subsection.
Table of provisions
(3b) References in
this Act to the returning officer may be read as references to the Electoral
Commissioner where necessary for the purposes of subsection (3a).
(4) A polling area
declared under subsection (1)(i) in relation to a polling place shall be
adjacent to the entrance to the polling place and no part of the boundaries
fixed under subsection (1)(i) or (j) shall be more than 100 metres from that
entrance.
[Section 100 amended: No. 44 of 1911 s. 29; No. 26
of 1949 s. 4; No. 59 of 1959 s. 9; No. 39 of 1979 s. 14; No. 40 of 1987 s. 58
and 84; No. 79 of 1987 s. 33; No. 58 of 1988 s. 5; No. 14 of 1996 s. 4; No. 36
of 2000 s. 50; No. 20 of 2021 s. 58.]